Affidavit: Man details killing of 89-year-old mother

1of6Lindsey Turiano, 58, is taken out of the Public Safety Headquarters by San Antonio Police, Wednesday, Aug. 21, 209. Turiano is suspected of killing this mother, Norma Woods, 89. She was found dead at her home on the 5900 block of Stonybrook Drive on July 14. Turiano was found unconscious in another room at the house and had been hospitalized. No motive was given by SAPD spokesperson, Jennifer Rodriguez.Photo: Jerry Lara, Staff / Staff photographer

2of6Lindsey Turiano, 58, is seen in a booking photo after he was arrested Wednesday Aug. 21, 2019, and charged with murder in the death of his mother, 89-year-old Norma Woods.Photo: Courtesy Bexar County Sheriff's Office

3of6Lindsey Turiano, 58, is charged with murder in the death of Norma Woods. Police took him to the Bexar County Jail Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2019.Photo: Jacob Beltran, Jacob Beltran

4of6Lindsey Turiano, 58, is charged with murder in the death of Norma Woods. Police took him to the Bexar County Jail Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2019.Photo: Jacob Beltran, Jacob Beltran

5of6Lindsey Turiano, 58, is charged with murder in the death of Norma Woods. Police took him to the Bexar County Jail Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2019.Photo: Jacob Beltran, Jacob Beltran

6of6Lindsey Turiano, 58, is charged with murder in the death of Norma Woods. Police took him to the Bexar County Jail Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2019.Photo: Jerry Lara, Staff photographer

A man accused of killing his elderly mother in July admitted to detectives that he strangled and beat her until she was dead, officials said.

Lindsey Turiano, 58, was arrested and charged Wednesday with murder in the death of 89-year-old Norma Woods.

Officers were initially called to Woods’ Southwest Side home on July 14 to investigate reports of a burglary at about 8:30 p.m. in the 5900 block of Stonybrook, according to Turiano’s arrest warrant affidavit.

They noticed broken windows and a foul odor coming from the home, so they broke down the front door to get inside.

They first found Turiano. He was lying in the kitchen but was unable to speak, his affidavit states. Police said they then looked through the house and found Woods, who was unrecognizable and in a decomposed state in a back room.

Turiano was taken to Southwest General Hospital and treated for severe dehydration. He did not speak to officers that day.

Inside the house, officers found dried blood spatter on the living room walls and ceiling. The floor was covered in broken furniture, glass, and other household items.

Investigators said they recovered a broken knife and what appeared to be human tissue with teeth attached. Underneath the debris, investigators found skull fragments and black stains on the carpet.

The disarray continued through two-thirds of the house, which suggested to detectives that Woods had been dragged from the living room to the backroom where she was found.

When they looked at her corpse, most of her skull and brain were missing, investigators noted in the affidavit. They could not immediately recognize any other forms of trauma because of the state of decomposition that her body was in.

Investigators also collected two walking sticks, broken knives and a forked type bar-b-que tool from the home, the affidavit states.

Detectives ruled out robbery because the house was entirely secure until the officers arrived.

The next day, detectives watched as Woods’ autopsy was performed at the Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office.

Woods’ body had multiple blunt force trauma, the ME reported. She had multiple stab wounds to her chest, neck and lower left leg. Her jaw and upper left arm were fractured, and she had multiple punctate wounds to the back of her left arm, detectives said.

On Aug. 16, Turiano was released from Southwest General Hospital, the affidavit states.

On Wednesday, detectives found that Turiano was being seen in the psychiatric unit of Downtown Baptist Hospital where he had confessed to a doctor that he killed Woods, according to the affidavit.

Detectives were able to interview him shortly afterward. He told them that he attacked Woods and strangled her in her bedroom, the affidavit said.

Then, he stripped her naked and tried to sexually assault her, he told police.

Turiano said as he dragged her into the living room she was kicking and screaming. He hit her on the head several times with a stick until she was dead, the affidavit states.

He told police he remained in the house for “a few days” until officers entered the home.

Jacob Beltran is a staff writer on the evening public safety beat at the San Antonio Express-News. He is completing a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Texas A&M-San Antonio. Since beginning his journalism career in 2010, he's worked at local college newspaper The Ranger and The Mesquite.

He is a San Antonio native who enjoys video games, photography, and exploring during his free time.